Life-preserver.



H. W. WILLIN. LIFEPRESERVER. APPLICATION'FIILED MAR. 11. 1916.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

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' TTNTT HERMAN W. WILLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1916. Serial No. 83,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN W. WILLIN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a .full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in life preservers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of life preservers and to provide a simple practical and'comparatively inexpensive life preserver consisting of a buoyant vest adapted to be readily placed on a person and capable of fitting persons of different sizes and permitting free movement of the body Without liability of the life preserver becoming displaced.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a life preserver constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts suspended. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the flexible extension portion or section. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the life preserver comprises in its construction a fabric vest consisting of inner and outer plies or thicknesses 1 and 2 of canvas or other suitable material and comprising front sections 3 meeting centrally of the front of the vest and secured together at the upper portion by a breast strap 4 consisting of two flexible members which are adapted to be tied in a knot as indicated at Fig. 1 of the drawings. The vest is provided with a back section 5, side sections 6 and connecting top portion 7 which are spaced apart to provide an opening 8 for the neck of the wearer. The front, side, back and top portions or sections are provided with hollow aluminum floats 9 preferably constructed of aluminum to render the life preserver comparatively light and stiff between the inner and outer plies or thicknesses of the fabric vest as shown whereby the floats are securely fastened in position throughout the various portions of the vest. The floats which may be of any desired size and number are preferably rectangular and are tapered at the edges at 10 at the inner and outer faces and are spaced slightly from one another to provide a flexible life preserver which is adapted to permit free movement of the body without inconveniencing the wearer.

In order to adapt the life preserver to persons of different sizes the side sections or portions 6 are provided with centrally arranged flexible portion 11 located between the floats of the side portions which floats are located at the front and back of the flexible, central or intermediate portion 11. The vest is provided below the floats with an annular depending extension 12 having perforations 13 through which is laced a belt 14 adapted to be tied in a knot at the front as shown but any other suitable means may be provided for connecting the terminals of the belt and also the terminals of the members of the breast strap 4. The intermediate flexible portion 11 and the connecting strap enable the life preserver to be snugly fitted to the wearer and to be secured firmly in position. The side portions or sections 6 terminate short of the top of the vest to provide side openings 15 for the arm of the wearer and these openings are of sufficient size to permit free movement of the arm.

What is claimed is 1. A life preserver including a fabric vest consisting of a back portion, separable front sections or portions, side connecting portions terminatingshort of the tops of the front and back portions and top connecting portions spaced apart and also from the side sections to provide a top opening and opposite side openings and hollow metallic floats secured to the fabric vest throughout the same, said fabric vest being provided at the side portions with an intermediate flexible sectional portion located between the floats of the side section to permit an adjustment of the vest to persons of different sizes.

2. A life preserver including a fabric vest consisting of a back portion, separable front 7 sections or portions, side connecting portions terminating short of the tops of the front and back portions and top connecting portions spaced apart and also from the side sections to provide a top opening and opposite side'openings and hollow metallic floats secured to the fabric vest throughout the same, said fabric vest being provided at the side sections between the floats with flexible portions and the said vest being also provided with a depending flexible extension having openings and a belt laced through the openings.

3. A lifepreserver of the class described including a fabric vest composed of inner and outer plies or thicknesses and comprising a back portion, front section having meeting edges at the front and side and top sections connecting the back with the front section and spaced apart to form top and side openings and hollow metallic floats secured between the inner and outer plies or thicknesses of the fabric and arranged at the back and at the front, top and side sections, said vest being provided at the bottom with a depending extension and the side section having flexible extension portions located between the floats of the side section, a belt carried by the depending extension of the vest and fastening means for securing the upper portions of the front sections together.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN W. \VILLIN.

Witnesses MATnIAs KREWINKEL, CHARLES FELGER Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

